For lots of people, saving up for retirement is intimidating. How can you be expected to set aside money that you wont see for years, especially if youve got debts to pay off now?

According to the Federal Reserve, nearly a quarter of Americans dont have any retirement savings at all.

But even if you havent put aside a cent, its still possible to increase your savings and ensure that your retirement will be just as enjoyable as all those commercials for senior vitamins make it out to be.

Here are five steps you can take to maximize your retirement savings.

If your employer matches contributions into a retirement savings plans like a 401(k), find out your company's maximum match usually 3% to 6% of your annual salary and contribute the same amount.

If youre not taking full advantage of of your employer's 401(k) matching policy, youre basically throwing away free money.

Though the IRS puts limits on the maximum contribution you can make each year to your 401(k), employer-match contributions dont count towards your limit.

Ideally, you should put as much into your 401(k) as the taxman allows, but even if you can contribute only 1% more than your company's matching contribution, it will make a huge difference.

For example, if you make $50,000 a year and your employer matches your contribution up to 4%, after 30 years with a 5% rate of return youll have saved $144,843. And if you contribute just 1% more each week, youll save an extra $34,818. Not too shabby!

If you arent lucky enough to have a retirement plan, or if your employer doesnt offer a 401(k) match, dont worry there are other ways you can save.

Facet Wealth can put you in touch with a certified financial planner who will help you build a personalized retirement plan to fit your lifestyle.

Got credit card debt? No judgment here it happens to the best of us. But mounting debt can be a huge stumbling block when youre trying to save up for your retirement.

The best way to prevent your credit card bill from standing in the way of your retirement savings is to work with a company like Fiona.

Fiona will show you the best lending options to refinance or consolidate your debt and can save you thousands of dollars in interest charges.

Fiona will match you with a loan of up to $100,000 based on your credit score, with a fixed interest rate as low as 3.84%. Your loans repayment plan can range from 24 to 84 months.

Lets say you ran up $12,500 in debt on a store credit card with a punishing 22.99% interest rate. If you were to trade in that debt for an 84-month personal loan at 5% interest, youd save $10,400 in interest.

Just think about how many early-bird breakfasts that will pay for when you retire.

Comparing rates on Fiona wont hurt your credit score, so even if youre just curious about your options its worth taking a look.

One of the hardest parts about saving for your retirement can be knowing what you should prioritize when it comes to paying your bills.

Everyones strategy for improving their credit score is different. For example, some people just do nothing and hope their scores will just work themselves out. This is not a good strategy. At all.

If youre one of those people, or if youre not exactly sure whether youre on the right track, Credit Sesame can help.

Credit Sesame is a free service that will monitor your credit and give you personalized recommendations on which bills to pay off first and what other steps you can take to improve your credit score.

Theyll also make sure your credit isnt being affected by mistakes in your credit report. Youd be surprised how often those can crop up according to the Federal Trade Commission, one in five credit reports contains errors.

By finding and correcting credit errors, Credit Sesame may be able to boost your credit score by hundreds of points and make saving for your retirement a lot more manageable.

When youre saving for retirement, every penny counts. So why are you overpaying for car insurance?

You should be shopping for car insurance rates at least twice a year. Thats right, every six months.

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It may sound like an endeavor, but the savings will be worth it.

And with the help of a company like Assurance, comparing quotes from multiple insurance companies is a breeze. In just minutes youll know whether youre getting the lowest rate possible, and which insurer you should switch to if youre not.

Making sure that you have enough stashed away for when you retire is one thing, but you also should think about what your family would do if you were taken from them by a serious accident or illness. It probably wont happen anytime soon, but its smart to be prepared.

Taking out a life insurance policy is a great way to ensure that your family will be financially secure after youre gone.

If youre worried that setting up a life insurance policy will be time-consuming, pricey, and maybe even a bit awkward, dont be. Quotacy lets you compare insurance rates without sharing your personal data.

In just minutes, Quotacy will give you three rates that are customized to your needs. Depending on your age and your home state, you can get an insurance policy offering $1 million in coverage for less than $7 a week. If that doesnt give you peace of mind, nothing will.

See more here:
5 Moves That Can Seriously Boost Your Retirement Savings - Yahoo Finance